ISSN 2239-978X Journal of Educational and Social Research Vol. 3 (2) May 2013 Precursors of the 1930 Great Indigenous Revival among the Yoruba People of Southwestern Nigeria Dr. Ogunrinade, Adewale O. Mr. Ogbole, Friday Abu Address: Department of Religious Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Gombe State University, Gombe, Nigeria. E.mail [email protected] , Phone: 08035522497 & 08036382200 Doi:10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n2p149 Abstract Many scholarly works have been written about the 1930 indigenous Great Revival in Nigeria which bothered about its impact and successes. However, the underlying factors that contributed to its successes have not been well emphasized. These factors in this paper are referred to as precursors. This paper appraises six precursors of Aladura Revivals of 1930 in Nigeria so as to identify how they helped in the overall success of the revival. Relevant literatures about the revival were consulted. Six precursors were identified namely: Yoruba society and religion, Islam, Christian Mission, Colonial Administration, Faith Tabernacle and Cherubim and Seraphim Movement. All six precursors contributed to the success and perpetuation of the revival. The culture and worldview of the Yoruba people were important ingredients for the founders and followers of the revival for the smooth and successful take of the revival. Though Islam was a proselytizing religion, it was able to enhance the success of the Aladura revival though indirectly through certain identified similarities between it and Aladura Christianity. While the missionary oriented Christian missions and the Colonial Administration related offensively with the Aladura progenitors, Aladura mission benefited immensely from them through the experiences gained by its founders while they were with the missionary churches. The Faith Tabernacle acted as the springboard for the revival as many of the leaders of the revival were groomed in the F.T Society and they abided by its doctrines. The Cherubim and Seraphim Society being the first indigenous society to become a church among the Yoruba was connected with the revival as from 1928. The society projected some of Aladura beliefs such as prayer and exorcism. The six precursors played significant roles in the overall success of the revival. Aladura Christianity in southwestern Nigeria at the time related with the traditional religion both directly and indirectly making converts from them. These precursors created the basis for the emergence of the revivalists and the motivation for their activities among the Yoruba people of Southwestern Nigeria. 1. Introduction Aladura Christianity is characterized by its emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit, revelation and healing and re-interpreting Christianity in terms of felt needs of the local culture (D. Ayégbóyìn, and S. A. Ìshola. 1997). It originated as a result of the activities of one Daddy Alli who was the sexton of the St. Savior’s Anglican Church, Ijebu-Ode in 1918 in Nigeria. Daddy Alli had a dream about the spiritual state of the church. He saw in his dream that the church was divided into two unequal halves whereby the bigger half was in darkness while the lesser half in light. This dream was interpreted to mean that the church’s faith in God had been lukewarm and that there was the need for spiritual reawakening. He relayed it to four other members of the church namely J.B. Sadare, E.O. Odubanjo, D.C. Oduga and E.O.W. Olukoya who commenced serious prayer that led to the founding of the Prayer Band popularly known as Egbe Aladura (Praying Band). They rejected infant baptism as practiced in the Anglican Church and also refused to have connection with all forms of medicine be it western or traditional. All these resulted in a conflict between the group and the Anglican Church harboring them and they were asked to leave the Anglican Church. The Aladura movement however started as a renewal movement searching for true spirituality (Aladura 2010). 149 ISSN 2239-978X Journal of Educational and Social Research Vol. 3 (2) May 2013 Still in 1918, there was an epidemic which was the aftermath of the WWI that ravaged the world and Nigeria had its own share of the problem. The influenza epidemic killed a lot of people and the search of a solution was not feasible. This praying group resorted to finding a cure through prayer and they were able to save many lives through the help of the Holy Spirit who provided a spiritual cure. This strengthened the prayer group and increased its fame and population as there was the formation of many of its branches throughout Nigeria. The society which was only prayer band became known as the Precious Stone Society or Diamond Society (Egbe Okuta Iyebiye in Yoruba phraseology) in 1920 (C.O. Oshun, 1985). It later became the Faith Tabernacle due to its association with the Faith Tabernacle of Philadelphia in 1923 (S.A. Fatokun 2005). It was in July 1930 that the Great Revival started. There are however many causes for the Great Revival and some of them shall be discussed below. 2. The Causes of Aladura Revival of 1930 Onwards One main figure of the revival was Joseph Ayo Babalola. His fame started to grow as from the commencement of one of the revivals that preceded the 1930 Great Revival. This revival took place at Ilofa. Also, one Daniel Ajibola who was his town mate and a Faith Tabernacle member at Ibadan was eager to introduce him to D.O. Odubanjo and other Faith Tabernacle leaders. The reason for this was that he (Daniel Ajibola) believed that there was much similarity between the teachings of Faith Tabernacle and Ayo Babalola. Babalola met D.O. Odubanjo and Pastor Esinsinade at Odubanjo’s house in Lagos. During the meeting, he narrated to them his call and the theme of his evangelism. After hearing his story, they were convinced about his ministry and his usefulness if allowed to join the Faith Tabernacle. He was taken to the Lagos lagoon and was baptized by Pastor Esinsinade (A. Alokan, 1991). A day was fixed for him to address the entire Faith Tabernacle assembly at Ebute-Elefun Headquarters, Lagos. Babalola made his “call narrative” at the forum for a period of six hours and all the brethrens were engulfed in awe. An eyewitness at the occasion says: The news of Prophet Joseph Babalola got to Lagos and we sent to him to visit us. The whole of Lagos and Ebute-meta shook when he came. He preached a wonderful sermon that thrilled the heart to us. Several works of healing were brought to him when he was here and the Lord stretched forth His hands to heal many people from various churches. Since the days of the apostles, we have not seen such a manifestation full of great wonders of the power of God like this in this land (M.O. Idowu, 2007). After this meeting, the whole assembly was convinced about Ayo Babalola’s ministry and the leaders of the assembly were further convinced about his charismatic potentials. They saw him as an evidence of all they had believed in and hoped to see happen. Daniel O. Orekoya, a native of Ijebuland and a tailor by profession also came to the charismatic scene of the moment through his great love for prayer. Though crippled he became a member of the Faith Tabernacle in Lagos. His distinguished qualities started to manifest such that for more than four years he was the leader of Idi- Oro Faith Tabernacle assembly, first as a sexton and later as the caretaker of the maternity (C.O. Oshun 1981). On 17 February 1930, he saw a vision of three angels appearing unto him. When he became afraid, the angels disappeared from his sight but he was hearing them clearly saying that the members of the Faith Tabernacle believed strongly in Jesus Christ. They further acknowledge that the members were steadfast in the practice of Divine Healing. However, they showed their unhappiness fore the sins that the members were committing (A. Alokan, 1991). The angels told him “the Lord was prepared to transform the church into a big tree under which all other trees would come for a shade”. Orekoya delivered this message to the Faith Tabernacle assemblies in Lagos and Ebute- Meta. After this, he asked for financial support from them to enable him travel to other places so that he could broadcast this message to other assemblies, but his request was declined. Some of the reasons why his request was not granted included the fact that he could only read in Yoruba language and that he was not a talented visionary. In addition, he was berated as a man of small stature but older in age. Orekoya disappeared from Lagos and nobody knew his where about until he was found at Ilesa during the Oke-Ooye Revival. (C.O. Oshun 1981). Orekoya was significant in relation to this revival because he also participated A meeting was arranged to debate certain issues involving allegations leveled against Pastor Babatope in 1929, this meeting did not hold until 9 July 1930 when the Faith Tabernacle leaders met in Ilesa. Ayo Babalola was invited to this meeting to officially introduce himself to the national leaders of the Faith Tabernacle. He was 150 ISSN 2239-978X Journal of Educational and Social Research Vol. 3 (2) May 2013 not a member of the group neither was he invited to contribute to the debate. Those that attended the meeting included Odubanjo, Akinyele, Esinsinade, Onasinwo, elders from the various branches of the Faith Tabernacle, and four elders from the Oyan branch that leveled the allegation against Babatope (C.O. Oshun 1981).